Watch & Read: New defensive coaches take center stage

Please Read: Welcome to the new-look Inside the Gators

• Mock Signing Class 2.0
• Initial Impression: Early Entry Freshmen
• Initial Impression: Five transfers
• Watch: A behind the scenes look at a Florida unofficial visit
• Commitment Burn Barometer
• 10 Most Wanted: Florida’s Top 10 Targets
• O&B Board: Spring Practice Observations
• O&B Board: List of injured Florida football players
• Watch: DJ Lagway limited this spring
• Pre-Spring Ranking of Florida position-by-position
• 15 Pre-Spring Class of 2026 Out-of-State Names to Know
• 20 Pre-Spring Class of 2026 In-State Names to Know
• Impact Analysis: Where Florida Football Signees Come From

Florida safeties coach Vinnie Sunseri, cornerbacks coach Deron Wilson, and linebackers coach Robert Bala met with the media after Thursday’s spring practice.

Vinnie Sunseri

• He is excited to be at UF. It’s in the SEC, a great program, under a great coach and a great defensive coordinator. He said he was presented with the opportunity at the end of January. Talked about his dad, Sal, coaching in the SEC.
• He said that Billy Napier handled himself in a professional manner when they were at Alabama at the same time.
• He feels extremely blessed for being able to work for Nick Saban and Bill Belichick. He said Saban turned him into a man.
• The safety room has a lot of extremely talented players. They aren’t where they need to be, but they’ve taken steps in the right direction to be better this spring.
• Called Lagonza Hayward a big, strong, smart, mentally tough football player. Sometimes you see him in the weight room, see how much weight he’s moving, and it’s like gosh dang.
• He loves how tough and smart Aaron Gates is. He attacks the running game. He has a pro mentality. He does everything at a pro level. He does everything he is asked to do and even more.
• Sunseri said that the defensive staff is close.
• Recruiting is relationship building. Building trust with the prospect. The standard is the standard. It’s never going to change.

Deron Wilson

• Since he worked at Florida before as an analyst, he said that returning as a position coach has been the easiest coaching adjustment he’s ever made. When taking other jobs, you have to learn the city, the building, things of that nature, but he was already familiar with that at UF.
• Getting takeaways is a mentality. When the opportunity is there to intercept the ball, you catch the ball.
• He thinks the cornerback room has a lot of depth, and called that a good problem. They have a standard, no matter who it is, go out there and take care of business.
• Wilson called Ben Hanks Jr. an extremely talented player who is still learning to play college football.
• He was excited when Billy Napier reached out to him to be the cornerbacks coach. When he was here the last time, he could tell that UF was building a foundation under Napier. He believes UF will reap the benefits of the foundation they’ve built this season.
• Having coached at Arkansas last year, he has a great deal of familiarity with some of the teams UF will face this season. He really understands the speed of the game in the conference.
• Wilson was here when UF was recruiting Cormani McClain out of high school. He said he has no knowledge of any issues he had in the past, but he called him a stud, saying he is always where he is supposed to be when he is supposed to be there, doing what he’s supposed to be doing. He said he is a great kid. No issues with him. He has always been extremely talented. Long, with top-end speed.
• Wilson said that he wants his cornerbacks to get hands on people. They call it press coverage, but in his mind, it’s bump and run.
• Called Devin Moore an all-star young man. Stand up, a hard worker. Getting to the ball is never an issue for him.

Robert Bala

• He said Ron Roberts was a big part of the reason he came to Florida. Plus, a lot of coaches in his circle have worked with Billy Napier.
• Having coached in the SEC before, on championship teams, he understands the conference and the hard work you have to put in. The saying is celebrate hard, but don’t celebrate long.
• He and Vinnie Sunseri worked together at Washington last year. He said he trusts him with his life.
• Called Deron Wilson a true ball guy. Patient and understands the game.
• He called himself a very lucky man to be able to coach UF’s linebackers. He believes they know what it takes to be good and want to be coached hard.
• This is the year for Myles Graham to take the next step. Bala called him a born leader. He has worked at the Mike linebacker this spring, too.
• Said that Jaden Robinson has had a phenomenal spring.
• Aaron Chiles has taken a big step this spring. He moves back and forth between outside linebacker and stack linebacker. Heavy-handed. He has done some good things rushing the passer, and has made himself a three-down linebacker.
• Ty Jackson has a high ceiling. The sky is the limit.
• When recruiting linebackers, he starts off looking for toughness and physicality.

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